Operations Manager

Who We Are

Emterra Group is a dynamic, growth-oriented, and safety-focused group of companies. Our organization have been deemed to be an “essential service” by providing collection and processing for recycling, organics, and waste that keep our communities clean and safe. With customer service and safety as our focus, we are looking for an energetic and driven employee to support our growing company and play a crucial role in waste diversion and the circular economy. Emterra is proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers, a certified diverse supplier of the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) and the Canadian Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBE).

Reporting to senior operations leadership, the Operations Manager leads day-to-day performance at the Niagara Material Recovery Facility and the Niagara Ecoglass processing and packaging operation. The role is accountable for safe, compliant, reliable, and cost-effective operations across production, quality, maintenance, logistics, inventory, customer service, and people leadership. The successful candidate will manage site financial performance, support continuous improvement, and help grow the Niagara Ecoglass program through strong product execution and customer relationships

Position Description

• Lead people and labour relations: Recruit, onboard, schedule, coach, and develop plant and office employees; set clear expectations; manage performance; and administer the collective agreement consistently.
• Drive safe operations: Demonstrate visible safety leadership, ensure workers understand hazards and safe-work requirements, verify required training and personal protective equipment, participate in inspections and safety meetings, and support the Joint Health and Safety Committee in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Manage production: Plan and coordinate receiving, processing, packaging, storage, and shipment activities for recyclables, specialty materials, and Niagara Ecoglass to achieve throughput, recovery, uptime, residual, and service targets.
• Protect product quality: Establish and monitor quality controls, audit inbound and outbound materials, maintain packaging standards, manage inventory accuracy, and ensure finished products meet buyer and customer specifications.
• Optimize reliability: Coordinate preventive and corrective maintenance, review mobile-equipment inspection reports, maintain required logs, and act promptly to reduce equipment downtime.
• Own financial results: Develop and manage operating plans and budgets, review monthly financial results, monitor costs and margins, identify variances, and implement corrective actions to improve profitability.
• Use data to improve performance: Maintain accurate operational records and reports, analyze trends, and lead practical continuous-improvement initiatives that increase productivity and reduce waste.
• Advance automation and process efficiency: Identify, evaluate, and implement practical automation, digital tools, and process improvements that streamline workflows, reduce manual effort and operating costs, improve data accuracy, and enhance production efficiency, reliability, quality, and safety.
• Support customers and growth: Coordinate product availability, order fulfilment, packaging, delivery expectations, and quality resolution with internal partners, haulers, buyers, and end users; provide operational input to pricing, sales, marketing, and business-development activities.
• Maintain compliance: Operate in accordance with applicable municipal, provincial, and federal requirements, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the facility’s Environmental Compliance Approval.
• Maintain site readiness: Sustain high housekeeping standards and coordinate required inspections, testing, repairs, and records for fire-protection and other facility systems.
• Perform other related duties and support operational projects as required.

Skills & Qualifications

• Three to five years of progressive experience leading plant, production, processing, packaging, logistics, or comparable operations.
• Demonstrated experience supervising employees in a fast-paced industrial environment; experience in a unionized workplace is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of Ontario occupational health and safety requirements and a proven commitment to proactive safety leadership.
• Experience with production planning, quality control, inventory, logistics, preventive maintenance, and continuous improvement.
• Financial and analytical capability, including budgeting, cost control, variance analysis, and operational reporting.
• Strong judgment, organization, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance safety, people, customer, quality, and production priorities.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to build effective relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and internal partners.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and the ability to learn operational systems.
• A valid driver’s licence and the ability to travel locally as operationally required.

Assets

• Experience in recycling, material recovery, glass processing, specialty processing, packaging, commodity handling, or waste management.
• Experience supporting sales, customer service, product positioning, or business development for recovered commodities or industrial products.
• Experience operating mobile equipment or training and evaluating equipment operators.
• Knowledge of programmable logic controllers, industrial controls, or automated processing systems.

Work Environment

• Work is primarily performed in an active industrial plant and yard environment.
• Regular exposure to equipment traffic, dust, noise, odours, fumes, and varying indoor and outdoor temperatures and weather conditions.
• Regular use of required personal protective equipment and compliance with all site safety rules.
• The role may require flexibility to respond to operational needs outside regular business hours.

Wage - $110,000 - $120,000/year

Reasons to Apply, Stay and Grow with Emterra Group

• Opportunity to be part of one of Canada’s Greenest Employers!
• Competitive wages!
• Comprehensive health benefits (health, dental, and more depending on what you choose)!
• Employee Assistance Program, paid for by the Company!
• Tuition reimbursement program and professional development support!
• Be part of an entrepreneurial organization that wants to continue to learn and grow!
• Ability to have an impact and make change!

Are you ready to jumpstart your career by joining one of Canada’s Greenest Employers and become part of the environmental solution? If so, apply now! We appreciate all applicants who apply however only those who are qualified, will be contacted.

Emterra Group is committed to maintaining an equitable, fair, and diverse environment. Any applicants who have a disability or require reasonable accommodation may speak directly with our Human Resources Department. Reasonable accommodations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Please note that AI may be used to support the application review process; however, all applications are reviewed by our Human Resources Team.

This posting is for an existing vacancy, and we are actively hiring for this position.